Vapor-removing plant



April 1 1924,

E. BATAILLE VAPOR REMOVING PLANT Filed Aug 23 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1, 1924. 1,489,109

7 E. BATAILLE VAPOR REMOVING PLANT Filed Aug. 25. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 1,1924.

UNITED STATES 1,489,109, PATENT OFFICE.

EDOUARD BATAILLE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

' VAPOR-REMOVING PLANT.

Application filed August 23, 1921; Serial No. 494',531.

284:,085, Dec. 29, 1918; Spain, 72,057, July 9, 1920; and Tunis 1,885, Mar. 26, 1921), of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

In a considerable number of industries wherein a vacuum is employed in the operations, such as the drying of meat, the purifying'of oils, and the like, it is recognized that it is of the greatest importance to make use of the highest possible degree of vacuum. But on the other hand, the vacuum obtainable is limited firstly by the presence of air in the vacuum chamber and secondly by the vapor tension of the volatile sub stances to be removed.

My invention relates to the application, in combination with a supply of water vapor at low tension to the treating chamber and in combination with other suitable means, of ail-ejector which is mounted in series with a vacuum condenser for instance of the wellknown Westinghouse-Leblanc type, to installations employed either for the drying 'of' meat, fish or the like, or for the removal of volatile substances-alone or together with the Water vapor-such as aldehydic products or ammoniacal substances in order to obtain the complete purifying of oils.

The following description, together with the accompanying drawing which is given by way of example,'sets forth an embodiment of this invention.

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a plant for the purifying of oils or the treatment of other 1i llldS. Fig. 2 represents a dryi chamber or meat or the like which may substituted for the oil purifying tank Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a vertical section'al new of the vacuum creating apparatus. Figure; is a sectional view of the dr ing "chamber.

- ig. 5 is a side elevational view partly in section, showing the diaphragm operatin lever.

ig. 6 is a detailed view showing the lever in engagement with a diaphragm stud.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view showing the valve in the closed position.

As shown in Fig. 1, 11 represents the oil purifyin tank which is heated for instance by a coi b supplied with live or exhaust steam, or byhot water. The said .tank is connected through the piping c, the oil separator d and the piping 0, with a vacuum apparatus which will be described hereinafter. A low pressure boiler e heated for instance by a worm f supplies low pressure steam or water vapor which is delivered into a superheater gwith live steaminlet g and outlet of condensed water 9''- Wherein the steam is superheated at a low temperature and is dried at the same time. It is understood that in the said superheating operation the steam or water vapor is' brought to a temperature above that which corresponds to its point of saturation at the degree of vacuum in which it operates when in contact with the substance under treatment, but the said water vapor may have a very low temperature, for instance-15 01' 20 C. The said water vapor which is in the dry state and at a low temperature is caused to pass through a check valve h and thence through a re lating valve '0, and is suppliedbv a suite le distributing device a to the oil in the tank ain such manner that it stirs up the same to the greatest possible degree.

The apparatus used to produce the vacuum is clearly shown in Fig. 3 and consists essentially of an ejector which may be disposed in series with other ejectors or with a condenser provided with a vacuum pump. In the preferred form, it is constituted-by an ejector k which is preferably of the Westin house-Leblanc type with multiple nozzle to s in series with a rotary vacuum condenser of the Westinghouse-Leblanc type. The ejector k is supplied with live steam arriving through the piping Z which is provided with the automatic check valve m. The steam passes through a check valve 0 into a vacuum condenser 12 of the Westinghouse-Leblanc type. The check valve 0 is so disposed as to cldsdautomatically by the effect of the outside pressure in case the vacuumfis diminished at the suction end of the vacuum condenser While the tanka is stillunder vacuo. As to the automatic valve m, this is controlled in the known manner by the vacuum existing in the suction end of the condenser 17 by means of a diaphragm n which is placed in suitable relation with the vacuum condenser and controls the closing valve, and in this manner should the vacuum become reduced in the condenser p, the check valve will close in order to prevent the admission of the condenser pres sure, while at the same time the valve m is automatically closed in order toprevent the feed steam ofv the ejector is from continuing to flow and-t0 proceed into the tank a.

The automatic valve m is normally maintained in the open position by means of the stem m which rests against a lug l0, projecting from the lever 11, that is arranged to be swung about its pivot 12 as shown in F1 5. The rotation of the lever 11 is impeded by contact of a depending arm 13 against a stud orstop 14 which projects upwardly from the diaphragm n. The arm 13 is sorecessed as to be automatically engaged by the stop 14 when the lever is swung in a predetermined position when the vacuum falls in the ejector k, that is to say, when the absolute pressure is increased in the diaphragm casing, n the steam is conducted through the communicating pa m'age 15 to the'interior of the casin the stop 14 to be release from the arm 13 Of the lever, thus permitting the'valve m to be closed under the action of the spring 8,

as shown in Fig. 7. I

The low pressurevwater vapor which is supplied in the dry state and at low temperature throughout the oil contained in the tank a, iscaused to draw off the volatile substances of an aldehydic nature, ammoniacal products and the like, and thus serves to convey the said substances into the vacuum pump. The particles of oil which are mechanically brought over are arrested in the oil separator 03 which may be disppsed equally well before the ejector or between the ejector and th condenser.

Known installa ions ,for oil purifying purposes are in use wherein water vapor iscaused to traverse the oil and is drawn .ofl by avacuum pump. But the use.

of the ejector in series with a vacuum condenser for instance of the Westinghouse- Leblance type will afford special advantages in this case. In fact, with the known devices, the processis limited to the use of the theorectical vacuum corresponding to thevapor tension of condensing water in the condenser. By, combining the Westinghouse-Leblanc rotary vacuum condenser and a steam ejector is mounted inseries before the latter, a vacuum may be produced which is-stillf much less than the theoretical vacuum used-in'the preceding case, and this can be maintained in spite of the flow of vapor or steam in the apparatus. However the reduction of the vacuum and the temperature n, which causes possesses the greatest advantage in the case of the purifying of oils or other organic liquids.

On the other hand, at theend of the I purifying operation, it is no longer necessary, as in the known devices, to transfer the oil from the tank a to another receptacle for the coolin ofthe same before placing it in contact W1th the air. In fact, as the operating temperature is very low by reason of the very high vacuum obtained, it is now possible to completely cool the oil and to dry the same, by closin the valve '0 and stopping the admission 0 low tension vapor at i, continuing only to operate the rotary condenser 17 which will suffice to remove the moisture remaining in the oil and therefore to cool the same by this means alone to a suitable degree while obtainin the perfect drying of the oil at the sametime.

In Figs. 2 and 4 there is disclosed a chamber or drying device which is intended to be mounted in the installation Fig. lto take the place of the .tank a and the separator d, between the valve 4; and the pipe 0', for the drying of meat, fish or other organic or inorganic substanceswhich require to be dried at a low temperature. The chamber E comprisesfor instance the flat supports 1' whereon is disposed the material under treatment, the said supports being of hollow form and supplied with a circulation of exhaust steam obtained for instance at the outlet of the ejector 7a, or of hot water provided by the vacuum condenser p. The vapor obtained from the low pressure boiler e which is superheated and dried at low temperature by the superheater 9 is brought. into actual contact with the meat or the like under treatment. This dry vapor gets saturated by the efiect of the contact with the meat as it takes out the moisture therein contained, until the afford a gradual drying at a very low temperature which will not be prejudicial to the qualities of the treated organic matter, this being carried out by a plan and a. process of the simplest character having an exclusively mechanical action, and not requiring the use of any chemical products or absorbent substances.

This application to the drying of organic or other substances, of. water vapor previously dried and superheated to a very low temperature by the use of a vacuum apparatus afl'ording a very high vacuum, 1s a characteristic feature (if this invention. This drying vapor also plays an important part inasmuch as it acts preciselyto place the combined ejector and vacuum condenser under the best working conditions in order to obtain a high vacuum correspondin to a very low temperature, all these conditions being most favorable for maintaining the meat in good condition during the operation. Y Claims- 1. An installation for the treatment of matters to be urified or dried under a vacuum comprislng a chamber for containing the matter to be treated, a low pressure steam opening in said chamber, an ejector for causlng the vacuum in the said chamber, and means for drawing the vapors from the outlet of the ejector.

2. An installation for .the treatment of matters to be purified or dried under a vacuum comprising a chamber for containing the matter to be treated, a low pressure steam opening in said chamber, an ejector said chamber,

for causing the vacuum in said chamber, and a condenser for drawing out the vapors from the outlet of the ejector.

3. An installation for the treatment of matters to be purified. or dried under a vacuum comprislng a chamber for containing the matter to be treated, means for producing steam in the vacuunf at low temperature, a pipe for conducting this steam at low pressure and at low temperature to said chamber, and a vapor ejector for causing the vacuum inthis chamber, and-means for drawing out the vapors from the outlet of the ejector.

4. An installation for the treatment of substances in vacuo comprising a chamber adapted to contain the substance under treatment, a supply of low pressure steam to the piping proceeding from the said chamber to a steam ejector connected in series with a vacuum condenser, an automatic check valve being disposed between the ejector and the condenser and adapted to close when the vacuum is diminished in the a condenser, together with an automatic check at low pressure,

low tem said boi conducting t the same, piping provided with a valve for.

e said steam inthe dry state.

the substance to e treatedin the treating chamber, a pipe leading from the said treating chamberto a steam ejector mounted in series with a vacuum condenser, an automatic check valve being disposed between the'ejector and the condenser and adapted to close when the vacuumis diminished in the c ondenser,'an automatic check valve disposed upon the steam supply pipe of the ejector and also adapted to close when the vacuum is diminished in the said condenser.

6. An installation for the treatment of organic substances such as meat, fish and the like for the drying and the constant preser vation of the same, comprising a chamber provided with suitable supports for containing the said substances disposed thereupon, means for producing dry steam at low temperature and for conducting the same into the said chamber whereby the said steam is caused to circulate in contact with the said substances, and a ,pipe leading from the said treating chamber to a steam ejector mounted in series with a vacuum condenser. v

7. An installation for the treatment of substances such as meat, fish and the like for the drying and the constant preservation of the same, comprising a chamber provided with suitable supports for containing the said substances disposed thereupon, having a circulation of a heating fluid within the said supports in order to raise the temperature of the said substances, means for producing dry steam at low temperature and for conducting the same into the said chamber whereby the said steam is caused to circulate in contact with the said substances, together with a valve disposed upon the pipe conducting the said. dry vapor into the said chamber, a pipe proceeding-from the said 95 chamber to a steam ejector mounted in series with a vacuum condenser, an automatic check valve disposed between the ejector and I the condenser and adapted to close when the vacuum is diminished in the condenser, and

an automatic check valve disposed upon the steam supply pipe of the ejector and also "adapted to close when the vacuum is dilminished in the said .conde'nser. k

whereof I hereunto aflix my 10 In testimony signature.

EDOUARDT 'BATAILLE. 

